Thursday, 26 November 2009

Phew! At long last, I finally uploaded the files of my finished book to our printer’s server this afternoon. For the last month I’ve done absolutely nothing except work on it 12 hours per day and then train. So both body and mind are feeling a little raw right now. Thankfully, some climbing outdoors is coming next week. Anyway, the lowdown is I might have stock of the book available by the second week in December if the printer runs on time. I’ll keep you posted of course, but I’ll put it up in the shop for pre-order as soon as we hear our stock is on the way.

It started out as an idea for a fairly small book centred around a theme in my head that formed throughout my study of sport science, my own attempts to get good at climbing and coaching others. That theme was that people get lost in details and settled in comfort. In doing so they lose the perspective needed to see much bigger areas to improve their level with less effort. This idea was certainly the biggest single piece of learning in my head after my education in sport science. So my book communicates that as clearly and directly as I can, with thorough explanation of all the ways this plays out and interferes with climbers’ progression.

But along the way I could see I would be able to add a lot of the detailed answers to the questions that climbers keep asking coaches and each other about how to improve. So there is a lot of detail too - information, instructions and help with just about all of what climbers need to know to improve or break out of a plateau in improvement.

My approach has been to directly point out the mistakes that climbers make in each of these areas. I can see that there are quite a few books out there now that list all the possible exercises and activities that climbers could conceivably use to help themselves. But there is precious little to help them choose between all of this, and I hope my offering will be very useful here.

In fact, the subtitle of the book is ‘navigation through the maze of advice for the self-coached climber’.

16 comments:

Start the preorders yesterday! I don't care when I get the book, I just want to know that I will get the book eventually.Our brain is designed that way, it thrives in good things to come. That's why planning a trip is so much fun!

Having recently been bitten by the climbing bug (only indoor so far) a few months ago I can't wait for this to come out.

I'm still seeing a fairly constant rate of improvement. Currently managing most 6b but noticing the diference terrain makes i.e. slabs being easier than overhung etc. I'm having huge fun but I'm concerned it'll become frustrating as the rate of proggression slows what with being self coached and all.

Stuck in afhan at the moment, just found out that i've got to stay for another month or so,missing climbing so much. Checking your blog everyday. glad to here you've got the book rapped up. I'm sure it'll be a hit, you have a gift for writing. I'm hooked on your blog so no doubt your book will be right up my alley. Keep climbing (for both of us, hehe)

Stuck in afhan at the moment, just found out that i've got to stay for another month or so,missing climbing so much. Checking your blog everyday. glad to here you've got the book rapped up. I'm sure it'll be a hit, you have a gift for writing. I'm hooked on your blog so no doubt your book will be right up my alley. Keep climbing (for both of us, hehe)